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(No Model.) '2 Sheets-Sheet l.

R.F.PREUSSER,

' I UAR FENDER. No. 562,320. Patenfed June 16,1896.

Gnome 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. RIF. PREUSSER. GAR FENDER (No Model.)

No. 562,320. r PatentedJune 16, 1896.

vwwo'vwyww attowag/s NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

RICHARD F. PREUSSER, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-SIXTH TO HENRY YOST, JR, AND FRANK SVANSON GIBSON, OF

SAME PLACE.

CAR-FENDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 562,320, dated June 16, 1896..

Application filed September 5, 1895- Serial No. 561,562. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD F. PREUSSER, a citizen of the United States, residing at ashington, in the District of Oolum bia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Guards for Street-Oars, of which the following is a specification, reference be ing had therein to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a car provided with my life-guard; Fig. 2, a bottom view thereof, partly in section; Fig. 3, a side elevation, partly in section; and Fig. i, a detail view.

This invention is designed to provide a simple lifeguard attachment for street-cars, that will pick up or push aside without serious in jury any person who might be on the track in front of the car while the same is in motion, as more fully hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 designates two cylinders bolted to the bottom of the car near its forward edge, one cylinder being secured on either side of the car and both cylinders being closed at their rear ends and open at their forward ends, the open ends having flaring mouthpieces 2 screwed in them. In each of the cylinders is confined a strong coil-spring 3, whose forward end bears against a sliding disk 4, to keep the same normally pressed against the shoulder formed by the mouthpiece, and whose rear end presses against the closed end of the cylinder. The main guard-frame 5 is provided with two rearwardly-extending rods 6, one of which works in each of the cylinders, each rod being provided with a stop 7, which is adapted to bear against the disk 4, the rear end of the rod itself passing through an opening in the center of the disk 4. The inner surface of the stop 7 is convexed to fit within a similar concavity in the disk, in order that the rod may have a pivotal movement on said disk, and the rear end of the rods are tapered off at 8 to prevent them engaging the coils of the springs when the guard-frame oscillates from side to side. Depending from each of the rods 6 is a support 9, carrying a wheel which is adapted to rest upon the car-track or roadbed when the guard is lowered for work. Upon the extreme forward ends of the side arms of the frame 5 is pivoted the transverse buffer 10, whose side arms are provided with lugs 11, adapted to abut against the forward ends of the arms of the frame and restrict the downward movement of the buffer. The buffer carries an elastic cushion 12, which extends entirely across it and is adapted to receive and cushion the blow of a body struck by the buffer. The buffer-frame is kept DOT- mally pressed downward (with its stops 11 abutting against the ends of the frame-arms) by means of two light springs 13, secured on the guard-frame and engaged over the side arms of the buffer.

The cradle 1% consists of a single elastic rod bent into approximately a U shape and having its ends rigidly secured to the guardframe. The side bars of the cradle are turned under upon themselves to form the eyes 15, through which bolts 16 pass to rigidly secure the eyes to the inner. sides of the frame-bars, the extreme ends of the rods being carried back and passed through the frame at 17 and bolted thereto by nuts 18.- To hold the guard up, I attach to the upper edge of the cradle a bail 19, which is adapted to be engaged by a upon the dashboard and provided with an opening for the passage of the pin 20. By simply depressing the handle of the lever, the pin is raised and the bail is released, thereby permitting the apparatus to drop to the roadbed and be supported upon the rollers carried by the supports '9. As is obvious, any other suitable device may be employed to hold the apparatus up out of working position. Attached to the guard-frame are two chains 23, one near each side, and both extending rearwardly and removably engaged over hooks 24, carried on the front of the car, said chains serving to attach the apparatus to the car and hold its rods to their supports when the bail 19 is released, as shown in dotted lines in Fig.1, these chains of course be ing sufficiently slack to permit the apparatus to fall to the road-bed.

It will be observed that this invention has special reference to that class of life-guards patented to me February 19, 1895, and numbered 53,6l7, and that it differs from my patented construction in being more simple in construction. It will be observed that by pivotally supporting the rearwardly-extending bars upon the supporting parts 4: and keeping those parts normally pressed forward, the guard may have a limited pivotal motion vertically and at the same time a bodily rearward movement and an oscillatory movement toward either side, as in my former construction, whereby serious injury to persons picked up or struck with the fender or guard is prevented.

It will be observed that the springs 3 are sufficiently strong to keep the entire apparatus pressed forward and slightly upward, but are of course sufliciently elastic to readily yield should the guard strike an object in the roadway.

An essential feature is the cylinders, which inclos'e and protect the springs and also support and guide the same; and another feature is the manner in which the guard-frame is connected to the spring-actuated supports, it being simply necessary in order to detach the fender from the car to withdraw the rods from the cylinders, leaving the springs and supports in place, but first having unhooked the chains and the bail.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim is 1. In a life-guard for street-cars, the combination of a pair of cylinders adapted to be attached to a car and being open at their forward ends, a spring in each of said cylinders, a sliding support working and supported in each of said cylinders and normally pressed forward by the spring,a cradle-carrying frame provided with two rearwardly-extending rods each of which extends into one of said cylinders and is connected to and passed through same, substantially as described.

2. Ina life-guard for street-cars, the combination of cylinders adapted to be connected to the car, a sliding support working and supported in each cylinder, springs for pressing said supports forward, a cradle-carryin g frame and means for detachably attaching it to the car, said frame being provided with rearwardly-extending rods working in said cylinders and passing through said sliding supports and resting removably therein and provided with stops bearing against the same, said rods working free of the springs and cylinders behind the supports and having an oscillatory movement independent of the same, as and for the purposes set forth.

' 3. In a life-guard for cars, the combination of a cradle-carrying frame, abuffer extending thereacross, chains connecting said frame to the car, a roller or rollers carried by the frame and adapted to support the same when lowered, rearwardly extending rods provided with stops, open-ended cylinders receiving said rods, a spring in each cylinder, a sliding support normally pressed forward by said spring, said sliding support being engaged by the stop on the rod, as and for the purpose set forth.

l. The combination of a life-guard frame adapted to be connected to the car, and a cradle attached thereto and having its side bars formed into eyes 15, and then extended rearwardly and secured rigidly to the frame, and bolts passed through said eyes and securing the cradle to the side bars of the frame, substantially as described.

5. In a life-guard,the combination of a frame adapted to be connected to the car and supporting a cradle, the side bars of said cradle extending downwardly and forwardly and being secured to said frame and then turned rearwardly and secured at their rear ends to the frame, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RICHARD F. PREUSSER. lVitncsscs:

O. D. DAVIS, CHARLES A. MUZZY. 

